In Defense of Albus Dumbledore
by smidget
Summary: Because Dumbledore was a lot of things, but he was not a malicious mastermind.


Disclaimer: Not really a story, but I own nothing.

Author's Note: This isn't really a story so much of a rambly essay but it was mostly done for my own benefit to vent some of my frustrations. I've been getting a little tired of all the Dumbledore hate I've been seeing around lately and so I've decided to share some of my thoughts on the character. It got a little long and rambling (and sarcastic) in places so do forgive me, but it could easily have been twice as long.

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><p><strong>In Defense of Albus Dumbledore<strong>

While contemplating the subject I've been trying to figure out where all the criticism against Albus Dumbledore comes from in the first place and I think that a lot of it stems from the lack of appreciation for the depth and complexity of his character. Often he is reduced to a flat caricature of himself with _only_ the negative showing. And I want to be clear - Dumbledore is certainly flawed - but there are so many layers to his character, so many complimentary or contradictory motivations that drive his actions. He cannot be reduced simply to a manipulative old man and it frustrates me to see this done so frequently.

From what I remember from my many years so far in this lovely fandom I would say a large majority of the Dumbledore hate started cropping up after the release of Order of the Phoenix. There was a sudden backlash against the character for having kept Harry in the dark and the events that such actions led to, namely the tragic death of Sirius at the Department of Mysteries. And indeed, Dumbledore did keep valuable information from Harry about the prophecy when he was perhaps the person most deserving of knowing, and this definitely counts against him. But he did not, as so many people seem to think, do so maliciously. He did it, as he says, because he did not want to add more of a struggle to the boy who had already struggled so much. Because he cared about Harry. This in no way redeems his actions but to think he ever kept the prophecy from Harry for any other reason would be to misunderstand a fundamental aspect of his character.

However many readers took the events from the end of OotP and lashed out against Dumbledore. Like Harry, I think many readers sought someone on which to place the blame for the Sirius's death. But unlike Harry, who never blames Dumbledore, they rest said blame on the Headmaster's shoulders (as he does himself). And while some blame does lie there certainly, not all of it does, nor does Dumbledore ever deny it.

This was the catalyst. After OotP criticism of Dumbledore's character started spreading rapidly and retroactively and his role in Harry's life became highly scrutinized as it had not been before. "Illusions" of this whimsical, sagacious, and caring man were shattered and he was made out to be nothing more than a manipulative general guiding his secret weapon to war. But I would contest both that Dumbledore was solely interested in leading Harry to war and that these characterizations of the whimsical and caring Headmaster were ever only illusions. This is where the many facets of Dumbledore start to get lost. There is no reason that Dumbledore could not be all of those good things and flawed as well.

The one act that garners the most criticism it seems in Harry and Dumbledore's past is Harry's placement at the Dursleys. Dumbledore openly admits that he knew that by leaving Harry with his aunt and uncle he was condemning him to 10 dark and difficult years. And there is no denying that the Dursleys were frequently neglectful and abusive, if not physically than emotionally. They denied him food, love, and attention and made him sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. They were open and pointed about their disdain for him, forbid him to ask questions, and otherwise ignored him. But in his time there Harry remained, as Dumbledore said, _alive_. This does not excuse the Dursleys' behavior but I think people underestimate how dangerous the Wizarding World was in the wake of Voldemort's initial downfall. He had been steadily gaining power for 11 years and had countless followers some as terrible as he was. Some of these followers attacked and tortured the Longbottoms into insanity. Surely they would have done much worse to Harry Potter.

But despite this danger some claim that Dumbledore had no right to decide where Harry would be living and they are probably right. But was there someone better suited? Certainly the Ministry was in a poor position to do so, probably littered with Voldemort's supporters if it was anything at all like his second rise to power. Throughout the entire series the Ministry is shown to be corrupt and defenseless, unwilling or unable to fight back when ignorance is easier. Not to mention that James and Lily obviously trusted Dumbledore a great deal, working in the original Order of the Phoenix. All of their other close friends were in no position to do anything. One turned Death Eater presumed to be dead, one presumed to be a Death Eater and thrown in prison, and one an emotionally unstable werewolf. (And don't even get me started on Remus wanting to take Harry in... a werewolf, surely depressed after loosing his best and only friends, and a man who had already retreated so far from said friends that they believed him to be a Death Eater spy).

And so Dumbledore took it upon himself to make the choice of where Harry would go and he did what others could not or would not do - pick the lesser of two evils. Yes, Harry's treatment by the Dursleys was absolutely, undeniably abhorrent and despicable. But it kept him alive.

There is also the argument that Dumbledore should have checked up on Harry during his childhood. (And I just love this - the people who say he had no right to leave Harry there but _of course_ he should have been constantly watching him). Well, who's to say he didn't? Frankly this is a time in canon we know very little about. Maybe every once in a while Dumbledore did check in and he caught a glimpse of Harry growing into a smart, compassionate and funny individual. Maybe he didn't look too closely because he didn't want to know. Maybe he knew and didn't do anything. Maybe this is another flaw in his character. We just don't know _how _much of Harry's childhood Dumbledore was privy too. So I won't defend him here but I won't condemn him either because we just don't know.

Move ahead a little and we have Harry's first year at Hogwarts. And with it comes the outcry against the Headmaster of, "How could you let such things happen at a school!" Well, Hogwarts is possibly the best defended building in all of Britain so when Nicholas Flamel and Dumbledore found out that Voldemort might be after the Stone it only makes sense to hide it at Hogwarts. But to say that Dumbledore planned for Harry to eventually go after the Stone and face Voldemort is ludicrous. Yes, the defenses set up to guard the Stone were seemingly easy but there is no way that they could have been tailored to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They were set up before the school year even began and who knew that the three of them would become best friends, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses so well? Okay yes, Devil's Snare was probably a little weak. Bad choice, Professor Sprout. But the winged keys, the chess set, Snape's potions - all of them played to different strengths and required a unique kind of skill. This to me seems a great way to keep one person out. Voldemort was one of the most skilled wizards of all time and complicated magic probably wouldn't stop him in his tracks but such a diverse set of obstacles was a pretty good try. The fact that they played so well to Harry, Ron, and Hermione's skills is a combination of luck and _good story telling_.

Now, did Dumbledore think Harry might eventually go after the Stone? Maybe. But did he intentionally abandon the school on the very night that this happened? I don't think so. What _did _Dumbledore do? He rushed back to Hogwarts and _saved Harry's life_. Oh yes, what a terrible human being.

Similar arguments continue as Harry's years at Hogwarts progress and while Dumbledore does not create the danger he certainly could do more to discourage it. Harry is passionately curious and very reckless. He goes looking for trouble no matter what he says about trouble always finding him.

And so now the other great sticking point - the fact that Dumbledore knew (it's unclear _exactly _how long but some time after CoS) that Harry was a horcrux, that he would have to die, and he said nothing. He handed Harry all the tools necessary to bring down Voldemort while setting him up for his timely death at the end of it all. He sent Harry, Ron, and Hermione off on a dangerous mission knowing how it would end... but hoping that Harry would live. That look of triumph as Harry recounted Voldemort using his blood, so long debated in the wait for book 5 and after, was finally answered. Dumbledore hoped, silently and privately, that somehow Harry might just come out alive at the end of it all.

Dumbledore was in the unique position of having more pieces to the puzzle than anyone else and having the strength to make the decisions that others could not. It was not Dumbledore's fault that Harry harbored a piece of Voldemort's soul, not Dumbledore's fault that Voldemort was determined to kill Harry from the time the prophecy was made. Rather Dumbledore was a man, exceptionally brilliant and tragic in his own right, who knew what it was to make selfish choices and what it was to make choices for the greater good. He did the best he could for a boy he cared very much about but there was nothing he could do to change the way things had to end. And so he did not choose Harry, but hoped for him instead.

And after all that, when Harry finds out the truth, even then he is not angry with Dumbledore. Instead, at the end of it all, Harry names one of his children after his Headmaster. And so sometimes it baffles me why, when Harry can still respect and love Dumbledore, it seems so many readers cannot do the same.

Dumbledore himself admits that his mistakes are greater than average and he is right. And throughout the books we we learn of a number of these mistakes. He is flawed but this is part of what makes his character so wonderful. He does not deserve all the blame nor all the credit but he deserves some of both.


End file.
